When you look at ADSL broadband you may see ADSL2 mentioned. It is important that you know a bit about this connection so you better understand what the service provider is trying to offer you.
What is ADSL?
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, more commonly known as ADSL, is a type of broadband connection. This connection uses the copper telephone lines throughout the country to give people high speed broadband connections. ADSL offers speeds which are much higher than the old dial up connection. The added bonus of ADSL over dial up is that the user is able to use the phone at the same time as the internet. ADSL can also be used for media streaming, downloading files and gaming to a certain extent.
The dial up modem was able to offer a maximum speed of 54kb per second. An ADSL line is able to offer around 8mb per second download speeds. Of course the amount you would actually get varies depending on where you were.
How does ADSL work?
ADSL runs on the copper cables used to transmit phone transmissions. However, unlike dial up, the frequency that the ADSL broadband connection works on is different to the frequency that the phone line uses. The use of a different frequency was implemented to eliminate the problem of using the internet and the phone at the same time.
To use an ADSL service you will have to have a service provider as well as an ADSL modem. The cost of ADSL will be more than the old dial up service. The main reason for this is that ADSL offer more on the way of speed and usage than the old dial up. Of course, dial up is basically obsolete as it would never be able to cope with the needs of internet users today.
Some of other benefits that ADSL has over the old dial up include how to access the connection. ADSL allows more than one person to use a connection at any time. In fact through the use of a wireless router you will be able to connect as many devices as you want to a single broadband connection.
The availability of ADSL
ADSL is considered the industry standard today because of the availability. Most households in the country will have a phone connection thus having an ADSL connection. Newer houses will not have the phone line connected but there is the potential for the line to be run.
A faster connection
If you are not happy with the speeds that ADSL offers there is a new connection you can get. ADSL2 offers many benefits which sets it apart from normal ADSL. At the moment only people who are closer to their local exchange will have access to ADSL2.
ADSL2 uses the same network infrastructure as normal ADSL. However, when using ADSL2 service providers will be able to offer speeds which are 3 times faster than regular ADSL. Many of the top service providers already offer their customers this connection but the distance from the local exchange can affect your connection.
Some technical details about ADSL2
ADSL2 is also known as ITU G.992.3 which is the International Telecommunication Union standard. The use of ADSL2 will increase the downstream speeds of the standard ADSL connection. An ADSL connection offers speeds of around 12mb per second. When using ADSL2 the speed will increase to around 24mb per second. Of course as with all DSL connections the actual speed you can get will depend on your distance from the local exchange.
The distance between your home and the exchange will vary the speed if it is further than 2 kilometres. The device found in the exchange which allows for faster connection is the DSLAM network device. This piece of technology uses a process known as multiplexing to combine a number of signals which are transmitted from the modem ports in the exchange. The multiple signals will be combined into a single signal which is the transmitted. It is through this process that DSLAM helps service providers give their clients DSL through an asynchronous transfer mode.
Who is ADSL2 aimed at?
There are certain people who will benefit the most from getting ADSL2 connections. These people are the heavy internet users who commonly stream media and participate in online gaming. If you run a business from home then this kind of connection will help with video conferences and VOIP services. Anyone who wants to surf the web at higher speed than they have at the moment should look into these connections. The faster the speed of your connection the faster web pages load and the more seamless your internet experience is.
How do you get ADSL2?
You probably know how to get an ADSL connection but you may wonder how to go about getting and ADSL2 connection. If you can get ADSL then you can get ADSL2 as the connection runs off the same network. However, you may have to upgrade your router when you get ADSL2 as it needs to pick up the new service. If you are unsure about whether ADSL2 is available to you it is best to contact your broadband service provider. You provider will be able to tell you if you can connect to ADSL2 and whether you need to a new router or not.
BT states that around 90% of the country should be able to get ADSL2 by early 2013. BT is also the provider of around 80% of the ADSL2 connections in the country.
Are you going to get better speeds?
If you are considering upgrading to ADSL2 you may want to know if you will actually get an increase in speed. Your distance from the exchange is what plays the largest role in whether you get the best speeds or not. You should ideally be only a kilometre away from your local exchange. If you are in this radius you should get speeds of around 22mb per second on the newer connection. If you are further away you will get faster speeds than traditional ADSL but not the highest available.
ADSL2 was a service that Sam Jones wanted to take advantage of. uSwitch led him in the right direction for getting a good deal and saved him plenty of time and money into the bargain.
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